2012-11-29

11/29/2012
Department of International Affairs - Democratic Progressive Party

The
DPP’s Central Standing Committee Meeting of Nov. 28 issued a statement condemning China
for including parts of Taiwan (Nantou County’s Sun Moon Lake and Hualien County’s
Chingshui Cliffs) as Chinese territory into their new passports. The statement
criticizes China for violating Taiwan’s sovereignty and damaging mutual trust,
and it also denounces President Ma Ying-jeou’s response to China as “weak”.

During
China’s 18th National Party Congress, China proclaimed that they
will consistently adopt the peaceful development approach and that it will
persist in treating its neighbors righteously and as partners.

DPP
Chair Su Tseng-chang said that the Chinese new passports incident, however,
displayed that China is picking and choosing only what benefits them from their
“peaceful development” foreign policy, and because now more than ever, they
wish to emphasize their sovereign authority over the disputed territories, they
are having more contentions with neighboring countries, which is extremely
damaging to regional peace and stability.

“The
DPP believes that the only solution is for China to embrace the spirit of
equality, mutual trust and respect for the sovereignty of other countries, and
China must assume the role of a responsible larger power in order to really
implement their goal of peaceful development.”

Chair
Su further noted that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, and it has
no mutual jurisdiction with the People’s Republic of China. For China to issue
the new Chinese passports that include as their territory the Taiwan
territories of Nantou and Hualien Counties is a clear violation of Taiwan’s
sovereignty, and it is not helping to establish mutual trust, he said.

Regarding
the government’s responses by Taiwan to China, Chair Su said that the DPP
strongly condemns them as very weak, and both the passive response from the Presidential
Office spokesperson and the Mainland Affairs Council lacked counter measures
against China.

“The
DPP, besides raising the severest of objections towards China, requests the
Chinese government to immediately correct this type of damage to the status quo
in order to avoid unfavorable diplomatic circumstances. We also demand
President Ma to immediately hold an international press conference and announce
to the international community the reality that the sovereignties of Taiwan and
China have no mutual jurisdiction. President Ma must also direct the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior and the Mainland Affairs
Council to adopt the necessary counter measures to protect Taiwan’s
sovereignty. The DPP Legislative Caucus will rigidly supervise on these
government entities in order to exert all its efforts into performing the task
of protecting Taiwan’s sovereignty.”